Not convinced by the Karnataka government’s status report on reviving Bellandur, Varthur and Agara lakes, the National Green Tribunal on Wednesday formed a commission for inspection. The commission comprising a senior advocate, expert from IISc and officials from civic agencies will inspect these polluted lakes to study all the fire incidents which happened at the lake till 10 April and the progress of their revival.

The commission will also check whether apartment complexes around lakes possess occupancy certificates from the municipal corporation. Apart from senior advocate Raj Panjwani, a junior advocate, an IISc professor, BBMP commissioner, a senior scientist from the Central Pollution Control Board, CEO of Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority and member secretary of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board will be part of the panel.

3. Cabbie Who Mowed Down Football Player Arrested

Representational image of a crime scene. (Photo: iStock)

An Ola cab driver was arrested on Tuesday for mowing down a football player, who represented Karnataka. Ranga Reddy (35), a resident of Electronics City, had been hiding since the accident on Sunday, the police said.

The Banashankari traffic police arrested the suspect based on the images captured by a CCTV camera of his car.

ND Tejaswini, who hailed from Arkalgud in Hassan district, was working at a software company in Marathhalli. She was travelling home on a bike with her cousin when the cab hit their vehicle on the Outer Ring Road at Nayandahalli. She was thrown off the bike and came under the wheels of the car.

4. Karnataka Polls: Fake Intelligence Report, Candidate List Surface

Fake documents have been emerging in Karnataka ahead of elections. (Photo: Altered by The Quint)

The timing was perfect and the details convincing, a fake document claiming to be the list of Congress candidates for upcoming Karnataka elections kept the phones of several Congress leaders busy on Tuesday night.

The document emerged on the web when the Congress screening committee meeting was finalising the names of candidates, misleading many into believing the document was authentic.

Senior party leaders who said a police complaint will be filed, alleged that the BJP’s social media cell was behind the fake document. The BJP social media team denied the allegation and claimed the document was a handiwork of some ticket aspirants within the party.

A 62-foot tall and 750-tonne giant Hanuman statue recently transported to Kacharakanahalli in Bengaluru’s HBR Layout on a 300-wheel truck has found itself in yet another controversy.

MK Jagadeesh, Assistant Commissioner of the Revenue Department, Bengaluru North, has filed a complaint against 18 people including BJP leader Padmanabha Reddy at the Kadugondanahalli police station stating that the Rama Chaithanya Vardhini Trust, which commissioned the project, has chosen to install the statue on disputed land.

The land marked for the statue is on the premises of Kodandaswami temple. Since 2015, the Muzrai Department has been locked in a dispute with the temple trust claiming that the land is a ‘government lake area’ as per revenue records. The same year, the Karnataka High Court issued a stay order that the 'status quo' should be maintained on the disputed land.

6. Metro to Extend Services During IPL Matches

Bengaluru metro rail. (Photo: The Quint)

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) will be extending metro services during the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches scheduled in the city on 25 and 29 April, and later on 1 and 17 May.

The services will be extended on both the lines from the existing 11 pm to 12:30 am. During the extended hours, frequency will be 15 minutes.

“Commuters can purchase return journey tickets (paper tickets) from any metro station, which will be valid till the last train service, from 4 pm onwards, on each IPL match day. The cost of the paper ticket will be Rs 50 per head. It can be used only for travel from Cubbon Park and MG Road metro stations to any metro station along the Purple Line and Green Line,” said BMRCL in a press release.